Fans of Elway’s restaurant will have to huddle in Cherry Creek for the time being.
I heard that the Ritz-Carlton Denver, going into downtown Denver at 1881 Curtis St., wanted Elway’s to be its flagship restaurant. That would have been nice because of the great job Elway’s is doing and the big-
spender crowd it attracts.
Only one problem: The restaurant’s contract with the Cherry Creek Shopping Center has a “radius clause,” a common piece of language in mall leases. It says Elway’s can’t open another restaurant within a certain radius – and downtown falls in that no-man’s land. The mall could have given Elway’s permission, but it didn’t, according to mall GM Nick LeMasters.
“It would not be in the best interest of the Cherry Creek Shopping Center to have Elway’s open downtown,” says LeMasters. “It would clearly erode sales of what has turned out to be a wonderful restaurant here.”
Elway’s GM Tom Moxcey declined comment. Charlie Biederman, developer of the Ritz-Carlton, also offered no comment on the deal, saying the Ritz makes these decisions, not him.
I love a parade
When a big brand name comes to Colorado, the big bold names show up to party. More than 300 of them dressed up Friday night to celebrate the arrival of Macy’s at its flagship Cherry Creek mall store.
The guest list included the usual high profilers – Mayor John Hickenlooper, Gov. Bill and Frances Owens, Macy’s West CEO Robert Mettler, newspapermen Greg Moore, John Temple and Steven Rossi, furniture’s friend Leslie Fishbein, Denver Center Attractions’ Jeff Hovorka and Jen Schiavone, marketeer Steve Sander, Ron and Barbara Thring, Sylvia Atencio, Lisa Olsen, Dr. Reggie and Faye Washington, Jane and Merrill Yale, Lisa Herzlich, Walt and Georgia Imhoff, Barry and Arlene
Hirschfeld, Eddie and Susan Robinson, Mark and Ellen Schwartz, Post boss Dean and Adrienne Singleton, Fox Sports Net’s Bob
Thompson, Larry Gelfond, and so on.
Mayor Hick, banked by the lingerie section on one side and men’s sportswear on the other, said that Macy’s “would bring much bliss to countless marriages.”
EATS
Charles Master and Chuck Cattaneo’s Brix Downtown is set to open officially Wednesday night at 2200 Market St. – after months and months of construction, the tragic death of their architect, delays and one thing after another. It opened soft last week, but this is it, so get on your party pants. Master says it’s a “more mature version of the Cherry Creek Brix.” But that doesn’t mean he is.
Sign at the Squealin’ Pig: “Book your Christmas parties now!”
And after a short, wild run, brothers Jimmy and Stef Khojas have sold Deja-Vu – which will reopen in a few weeks as Dizaly, same French/Italian/American concept.
City spirit
The Denver Press Club will hang a caricature of Denver Post sportswriter Irv Moss at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Irv will bartend 6-8 … It was oilman Jack Overstreet who won the big auction item at the Children’s Hospital Patron Party … Sez who: “Confusion is mightier than the sword.” Abbie Hoffman
Bill Husted’s column appears Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Husted also appears Tuesdays and Fridays on “Good Day Colorado” on Fox 31. You can reach him at 303-954-1486 or at bhusted@denverpost.com.
